Basic Place Mac OS
Basic Place Mac OS
Welcome to the crash course on how to use Mac Operating System (commonly referred to as Mac OS or Macos ). If you have recently switched from Windows to Mac OS X on an Apple Macbook or iMac, the differences between the two operating systems might seem confusing, frustrating and even a bit overwhelming at first. MacOS is an operating system designed by Apple. The operating system is what allows you to use a computer. MacOS comes preloaded on all new Apple Macintosh computers (commonly known as Macs). MacOS makes it possible to complete all kinds of everyday tasks on your computer.
Written by Mårten Björk •
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- Mac OS, operating system (OS) developed by the American computer company Apple Inc. The OS was introduced in 1984 to run the company’s Macintosh line of personal computers (PCs). The Macintosh heralded the era of graphical user interface (GUI) systems, and it inspired Microsoft Corporation to develop its own GUI, the Windows OS.
This guide will help you become familiar with Mac OS X — the operating system of every Mac. In just a few, short steps, this article will teach you everything you need to know to get started with your Mac.
Mac OS X — The Basics
Mac OS X is the operating system of your Mac. It’s the basic system that enables your Mac to work. All the files, folders and programs are handled by Mac OS X as well as internet connectivity, battery consumption and more.
As a Mac user, you will encounter Mac OS X in many different forms:
- When viewing the desktop
- When you’re browsing through files
- Through the Mac’s search function (called “Spotlight”)
- Through the application bar (called “The Dock”)
- As the system that runs your applications
…and much more. Mac OS X is always there in the background, making sure your Mac runs smoothly. By learning more about Mac OS X, you will become a more efficient and confident Mac user. Let’s get started!
Mac OS X — An Overview
The home of your Mac is the desktop. Think of it as a physical desktop – a place where you may temporarily spread out your work while performing a task.
For example, you may put an image from the internet on the desktop, make some modifications, and then drag it into an email. Just remember, while the desktop is a great workspace it not a good place to store files long-term since it quickly gets messy — again, just like an actual desktop.
Let’s have a look at the other things you see in when you first turn on your Mac.
The Dock
In the bottom of your screen, you should see “the Dock” — a bar with convenient shortcuts to your favorite applications. If you don’t see it by default, try moving your cursor to the bottom of the screen and it should pop right up.
The icons in the Dock are just shortcuts. You can add or remove icons from the Dock without affecting the actual applications.
To add an application shortcut to the dock, you can use Launchpad, which is a complete overview of all your applications. You can probably find Launchpad in the left part of your Dock. Click Launchpad to view all your applications, then drag any icon into the dock to create a new shortcut.
Another way to add shortcuts to the Dock is to find the Application file (in the Applications folder) and drag it to the Dock. This requires some familiarity with browsing through files.
To remove an item from the dock, just drag it out and hold it over the desktop. After a second or so, a “remove” label shows up. Release the icon and the application shortcut is removed from the Dock.
Menus
At the top of the screen you will see some menus. These menus change depending on what application you are using at the moment.
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If there is ever anything you want to do in a certain application, try to find it in these menus.
Menu extras
Look at the top of your screen. To the right of the menus you are most likely to see a few symbols.
These little icons are mostly used to quickly edit your Mac’s settings. Rather than having to open System Preferences, you can change the settings using Menu extras.
To change what Menu extras are visible, open System preferences. Click a preference pane and look for the checkbox that lets you choose if you want the specific Menu extra to be visible or not.
Users
Mac OS X offers a really nice way to switch between the different user accounts on the Mac. Near the upper right corner of your screen you will find your name. Click it and a list of all the users on the computer will appear.
Now, just click another user in order to log in to his/hers account (password may of course be required).
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Spotlight
If you look at the upper right corner of your screen, you will see a small magnifying glass. This is Mac OS X’s search function. It is called Spotlight. To read more about it, click here.
Dashboard
Mac OS X has a great thing called Dashboard where you can run mini-applications called widgets. Read the article about it, Dashboard is awesome.
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␡- Chapter 3: Mac OS X Basics
Chapter 3: Mac OS X Basics
After installing Mac OS X and completing the included installer assistant, you'll be transported to the Mac OS X desktop. Unfortunately, many users will find themselves staring at a completely unfamiliar desktop. This chapter will approach Mac OS X from the perspective of a user who has just logged in, and will look at some of the features that make Mac OS X a powerful system and unique user experience. The more complex components shown here will be discussed in depth elsewhere, so don't worry if all your questions aren't answered immediately.
Welcome to Mac OS X
The Mac OS X desktop, seen in Figure 3.1, looks simple enough. Many of the visual cues that Mac users have come to rely on are present, along with a few new elements.
Figure 3.1 The Mac OS X desktop looks familiar.
Let's take a look at many of the Mac OS X system components and how they compare to their Mac OS 9.x counterparts.
The file system layout—Where did everything go? Mac OS X imposes a strict structure on the file system. Learn where you can find your files and applications.
The Apple menu—The Apple menu provides access to recent applications and common system-wide function. Gone are desk accessories and access to individual control panels.
Windows—The new Mac OS X look extends to the windows themselves, which sport new features as well.
The Application menu—Previous versions of the Mac operating system started program-specific menus with File. In Mac OS X, each application has its own self-named menu that contains functions common to any program.
The desktop and Finder—The primary playground of many a Mac user, the desktop and Finder still operate in much the same way as under earlier versions of Mac OS.
The Dock—Taking the place of the task menu located on the right of the Mac menu bar in earlier versions of the operating system, the Dock also includes components from the traditional Mac desktop and Apple menu.
Menu Extras—Mac OS X 10.1 introduces Menu Extras—replacing much of the functionality lost when the Control Strip was removed. Many of the system preference panels (Sound, Date and Time, Network, and so on) offer the capability of adding a menu extra to the menu bar for quick access to settings.
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Let's take a look at each of these elements of the OS X environment, its basic use, and what problems/differences you might encounter as you work with it.
Basic Place Mac OS